Kazakhstan to build Russian nuclear station

Kazakhstan will build a Russian nuclear station, Tengrinews.kz reports from the ceremony of signing of bilateral agreements between Nursultan Nazarbayev and Vladimir Putin.

“We have talked about further cooperation in the economy. Energy, cooperation at the Caspian Sea and in nuclear industry are our priorities. We have respectable joint companies exploring the uranium deposits in Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan is involved in enrichment of uranium ore and processing it into nuclear fuel. In future, I think, we will work with our Russian partner on construction of a nuclear station in Kazakhstan. BN-350 was our best station and we would like to see its equivalent,” Nazarbayev said, commenting the signed agreements.

Besides nuclear energy, the parties agreed on cooperation in oil and gas industry.

“We have a good cooperation. This year we have achieved expansion of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium to 67 million tons per year. That means that the additional capacity of the oil production is 25 million tons. Next year we will be exporting oil via Russia. The capacity of this station will be increased from 23 to 65 million tons,” Nazarbayev said.

The parties also agreed on development of cooperation in space industry. “We have talked about enhancement of cooperation between Russia and Kazakhstan, participation of Kazakhstan experts in this sector, training of young people and, most important, preservation of the infrastructure of Baikonur cosmodrome. A special statement of the two presidents has been adopted today on these issues,” Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev said.

Vladimir Putin stressed that elimination of administrative barriers spurred GDP growth in both countries. He added that he discussed the possibility of cooperation in chemistry with Kazakhstan President. “We have talked about cooperation in mechanical engineering. Two of our companies, AvtoVAZ and SOLLERS-UAZ, are planning to make investments in this sector. The cars are to be manufactured in Kazakhstan. The plan is to produce up to 100 thousand cars at the initial stage,” Putin said.

“But the most important is that we are achieving such results mostly through elimination of administrative barriers and this is a result of the integration between Russia and Kazakhstan,” Russia’s President added.

One of the examples of elimination of such barriers is the agreement allowing citizens of both countries to stay at both territories for up to 30 days without registration. “We have been talking for a long time about the citizens of Kazakhstan and Russia staying in both countries for up to 30 days without registration. Finally, this agreement has been signed today,” Nazarbayev told the journalists.

“As a result of creation of the Common Economic Space we have received a several-percent increase in the GDP both in Russia and in other participating countries: Kazakhstan and Belarus,” Putin said and noted that creation of the Eurasian Union would become the next step that would require special attention and efforts of both parties.

The presidents of both countries signed a protocol on amendments to the Agreement on Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance between Russia and Kazakhstan. Foreign Ministers of Russia and Kazakhstan also signed a protocol on amendments to the Agreement between the governments of both countries on the rules of crossing of Kazakhstan-Russian state border by the citizens of near-border territories. Kazakhstan Interior Minister and Direction of Russian Federal Migration Service signed a document defining the rules of stay of Kazakhstan citizens at the territory of Russia and Russian citizens at the territory of Kazakhstan. A cooperation document was signed between RusHydro and Kazakhmys PLC. The Presidents also agreed on celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Friendship Agreement in Moscow.